Peaches for Father FrancisJoan Harris’ the third book in series that began with her international bestseller, Chocolat, which was made into a hit film of the same name starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp.

As Peaches for Father Francis opens, free-spirited Vianne Rocher and her two daughters have moved with her lover Roux to Paris. They live happily on Roux’s house-boat, and Vianne sells her delicious chocolates.

One day a letter arrives that reaches out with a request from the dead. An old friend, Armande, has asked that the message be sent on her death, asking Vianne to return to the village and harvest the peaches from her tree. Vianne is torn and reluctant to return to the town she left after her chocolate shop was destroyed and Roux’s boat was set on fire. But she also missed old friends and finds it hard to refuse a last request from dear old friend. Her oldest Daughter Anouk is also anxious to see her old friends and the village she loved.

So with anticipation and trepidation, Vianne makes the trip. Her old friends are welcoming, but the village has changed. Her old nemesis, Father Francis, is being driven from the village by young modern priest and new ideas. The formerly close-knit community is divided over the Moroccan immigrants who have taken up residence on the river bank. It is same place where she and Roux first fell in love. And the river on which his boat was burned.

Unpleasant events have occurred in the small village, as a charismatic and mysterious new leader had taken over the Moroccan community. Tensions come to head when Father Francis rescues a young Moroccan girl as she tried to drown herself in the river. He is forced to ask Vianne for help hiding the girl who refuses to talk or return home.

Vianne quickly finds herself deeply embroiled in the lives of her old friends as well as some new ones.

Harris captures the romance and poetry of French countryside. Peaches for Father Francis also shows the very contemporary issue of cultures struggling to live harmoniously together in a small village. Harris' sensuous prose evokes hot summer winds and the scents of ripe peaches, exotic spices, and the intoxicating aroma of good chocolate.

I loved the world she created and her endearing characters. This is a book that warms the heart and also makes you think. If you long for the scent of cardamom, a ripe peach, and a magical escape, this book is for you.